How to travel to Amsterdam using points and miles
Our family of 3 traveled to Amsterdam during June of 2023. It was our first stop on a 5-week trip across Europe, during which we visited Switzerland, Northern Italy, Slovakia, and Hungary.
Because we were traveling for 35 days, we needed to save as much money as we could.
Here’s how we planned our trip from the East Coast to Amsterdam using points and miles. (And all the cards we opened in order to make this trip happen for our family of 3.)
I’ll also share other options if you have points from a different bank than we do.
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links and links to credit cards that we use. For all affiliates, we earn a small percentage of any purchases. When we share links to credit card applications, if you click on that link and are approved, we will be compensated with points at no additional cost to you. We will never share any products or credit cards that we do not use ourselves.
How to travel from the East Coast to Amsterdam:
New York’s JFK to Amsterdam’s Schiphol: KLM
We flew from JFK to AMS on KLM. KLM is the Royal Dutch Airlines, and Amsterdam is their main hub. We booked through the Flying Blue program, which is their points program. Flying Blgue is a wonderful points program because you can transfer points to it from Chase, AMEX, Citi, and Capital One. They also have a 25% discount on points booking for children under age 12.
While JFK is a bit of a drive for us, it was worth it for how cheap our tickets were. There are also an abundance of direct flights from JFK to Amsterdam throughout the year. The flight is just over 7 hours, so not quite enough time to sleep.
Total miles used: approx 15,0000 per person/ 45,000 miles total
Points have gone up a bit; you will be more likely to book for 60,000 total points now for 3 people
Cash paid: $80 per person/ $240 total
No layover- you get get direct flights to Amsterdam
Credit card used: American Express Gold
Other cards you could use: Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture
Flight option #2: Virgin Atlantic
Total miles used: 10,0000 per person/ 30,000 miles total
Layover at Heathrow
Cash paid: $80 per person/ $240 total
Credit card used: American Express Gold
Other cards you could use: Chase Sapphire Preferred, Capital One Venture
Hotel: Kimpton DeWitt (IHG)
We spent 4 nights at the Kimpton DeWitt in Amsterdam, which we appreciated for a few reasons. mainly that it was easy to walk around the city from here.
When you stay 3 nights on points, you get the 4th night for free. These free nights add up over time!
It’s walking distance from the Centraal Train Station.
This allowed us to take a day trip out to Zaanse Schans, too.
It’s close to many restaurants and shops.
There was a happy hour each day (which we mostly missed) and we were given drink coupons at check-in,
The front staff offered my daughter a gift when we checked in. These extra touches make a big deal for little kids!
The rooms were clean, and the staff was very friendly.
Side note: the rooms are a bit small here; we were lucky that they upgraded us and put a roll away for our daughter, but if you have older kids, you might need 2 rooms or might want to check out the Hyatt.
Cash paid: $0
Credits cards you could use: IHG Premier or Chase Sapphire Preferred
Why location matters:
Here’s an example of why we always choose centrally located hotels when we stay in cities:
We were able to take turns visiting the Anne Frank house because of the hotel’s location. We knew our daughter would not be able to be quiet (or stay awake late) for the visit to the Frank house, so we did not take her. Instead, I went first, walked back to the hotel, and then stayed with my sleeping child while my husband had his tour. We could also walk to the Nemo Science Center. Everything was nearby.
The Kimpton DeWitt blends right into the neighorhood
Hotel Option #2: Hyatt Regency Amsterdam
While we did not stay here, many people recommend staying at the Hyatt Regency in Amsterdam. While Hyatt does not have a 4th night free, their rooms are much more affordable with points. You could open one credit card and have enough points for 4 nights in Amsterdam.
Total points used for 4 nights: 80,0000
Cash paid: $0/person
Credit cards you could use: Chase Sapphire Preferred + World of Hyatt Credit Card
Hyatt Regency Amsterdam- courtesy of their website
